Weighing scale with container storage means

ABSTRACT

A multipurpose scale construction, particularly for household kitchen use, comprises a base, a compressible spring mounted thereon, a platform on the spring and at least one container for holding material to be weighed. The container may be inverted over the platform and spring and secured to the base protecting the scales when not in use.

United States Patent inventor Peter Ackeret Schutzeweg 3, 8700 Kusnacht,Zurich, Switurland Appl. No. 809,845 Filed Mar. 24, 1969 Patented July13, 1971 Priority Mar. 22, 1968 Switzerland 4327/68 WEIGHING SCALE WITHCONTAINER STORAGE MEANS 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 177/126, 177/232, 177/245, 177/154 Int. Cl 601g 21/00 Field ofSearch 177/124,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 374,759 12/1887 Segog177/232 570,553 11/1896 Hunter 177/232 X 817,974 4/1906 Heizer 177/126873,850 12/1907 Ellis 177/233 X 3,321,036 5/1967 Keenan et a1. 177/245Primary Examiner- Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-George H.Miller, Jr. AttorneyLowry, Rinehart, Markva 8; Smith ABSTRACT: Amultipurpose scale construction, particularly for household kitchen use,comprises a base, a compressible spring mounted thereon, a platform onthe spring and at least one container for holding material to beweighed. The container may be inverted over the platform and spring andsecured to the base protecting the scales when not in use.

'PATENTEDJULI alsm 3,592,277

sum 1 or 3 INVENTOR PE 7'5? AC/(EKET fa MM 9 MM! ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUL!3 I911 SHEET 2 BF 3 INVENTOR PE 75/? ACKERET ATTORNEYS SHEET 3 [IF 3 Ill IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR Perm AC/(ERET' ATTOR N15 Yf PMENI'EB $1 13 m1 WEIGI-HNG SCALE WITH CONTAINER STORAGE MEANS Various types ofhousehold balances are known, some of which are working with weightsothers with springs. Balances provided with scales for taking up of thegoods to be weighed are characterized by their quite large spacerequirements and, when not in use, their requiring of a special casing,which means additional space requirement. in the trade and in householdswhere the balance is not constantly in use the above mentioneddisadvantage is very much felt, when the balance has to be stored onshelves or in cupboards. Not only if idle but also for moving andstoring the need of space as well as of special locking packagingdevices are found to be expensive and unpractical. Moreover, the scalesat hand for taking up the goods for weighing are unsuitable for anyother purpose.

The object of the present invention is a multipurpose balance,particularly for household kitchens. This invention is characterized bya weighing apparatus provided with an up and down moving device forweighing and with at least one mounted overtumable receptacle, which canalso be used for other purposes and which, after being turned upsidedown, can be clapped over and locked with the balance, thus forming acompact unit.

In the drawing an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown asfollows:

FIG. 1 represents a view of the balance with the belonging receptacles;

FIG. 2 represents the balance with the clapped over interlockedreceptacles as a locked-up unit, when not in use;

FIG. 3 represents a vertical fragmentary section through the balance;

FIG. 4 represents a cross section along the line IVIV of FIG. 3 in thepulled-out and pulled-in positions, respectively, of the movablecarriage part; and

FIG. 5 represents a corresponding cross section of the balance inthelocked against pulling-out position of the movable balance part. Theshown multipurpose balance comprises a support I, attached thereto atthe circumference two holding clamps 2 facing each other, and a hollowcentral column 3, as the stationary part of the balance. The inside ofthe hollow column 3 is provided with a screw spring 4 and a piston 5,supported by said screw spring 4, said piston 5 being the verticallymovable part of the balance. The spring 4 grasps the hollow cylindricalpiston 5 at its bottom front side, whereby the spring lies open at alltimes thus permitting a friction-free guiding of the piston and therebyensuring accurate weight indication. On the interior top part of thehollow column 3 three equidistantly spaced guiding cams are arranged,and at the outer surface of the bottom part of the piston 5 threeguiding cams 7 are positioned in the interspaces of the upper guidingcams 6, not hindering the pulling-out movement of the piston 5 from thehollow column. The backstop came 8 are coordinated to the guiding cams7, and depending on the turning position of the piston 5, these cams 8give free or lock the pullout of piston 5 by colliding at a certainpiston turning position with the cams 6 of the column 3. For thefixation of the tuming position of the piston 5 a U-shaped guidinggroove running in the longitudinal direction of the piston is provided,in which a guiding pivot 10 projecting from one of the guiding cams 6engages at its open bottom part. In the sliding out position of thepiston 5 the guiding pivot 10 of the hollow column 3 is playing freelyin the groove legs 9', as shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4. By pressing in ofthe piston 5 against the action of the spring 4 the connection bar 11 ofthe groove 9 can be lead till to'the guiding pivot 10 and can be broughtinto the groove leg 9" by a small left-hand turn of the piston 5. Inthis turning position of the piston 5 the backstop cams 8 are broughtinto the collision range of the guiding cams 6, as shown in FIG. 5,thereby delimitating the moving range of the piston 5 and locking itspullout while weighing. The release of the pullout of the pistonfacilitates assembling as well as disassembling of the balanceiorcieaning purposes. in a' vertical guiding groove 12 a weight scale i3is arranged on the outrideof the hollow column 3, this weight scale 13is vertically adjustable and fixable by an adjusting screw 14. The scale13 allows weight readings of the goods to be weighed from O-l kg., andby graduation marks from 50 to 50 g., additional reading from 25 to 25g. Serving as indicator for weight reading on the scale is the openingedge 15 of a hollow conical coat 16 which is fastened by the bottom 17of its widened part to the piston 5. This horizontal bottom 17 servesfor putting upon or carrying the respectively used cup-shaped containers18 for the goods to be weighed, as shown in FIG. 1. In the shownembodiment three containers 18 are provided asattachments to thebalance. These containers are identical in size and shape. They areconically widened from the bottoms to the tops, and therefore can beinterlocked, as shown in FIG. 2. In this interlocked state thecontainers [8 can be put over the balance and fastened by the holdingclamps 2 in such a manner that the balance and the containers form acompact unit, requiring little space for storing or shipment. Thecontainers 18 are shaped in such a way that they may be used in thehousehold for other purposes too, such as keeping or mixing offoodstuff, etc.

In the state shown in FIG. 2 the spring is lightly compressed, thusexerting an upward directed tension pressure, whereby the containers 18are spring-elastically held in place and not lying in a loose manneronly one on top of the other. When the interlocked containers arepressed down, the action of the spring has to be overcome before thecontainers engage in the holding clamp. If the clamps 2 aresimultaneously pressed outwards and released, the spring 4 together withthe piston 5 are snapping upwards thereby somewhat lifting thecontainers. Thus the latter are moving out of reach of the holdingclamps 2.

The described multipurpose balance possesses an adequate accuracy ofweighing for the normal use, such as household and kitchen use, andthanks to its simple design and the protective casing built by theoverturned containers, as shown in FIG. 2, it possesses also the bestresistance conceivable against damage when used or shipped. Additionaladvantages are its low weight, its beautiful shape and the modeststorage space requirement. This last feature is of essential practicalimportance especially when the balance is not used or stored. Changingfrom overturning of the containers upon the balance, as shown in FIG. 2,to the state of use, as shown in FIG. 1, and vice versa can be performedwithin seconds.

I claim:

1. A multipurpose scale construction comprising:

a. a base member,

b. compressible spring means mounted on said base member,

c. a platform secured to said spring means opposite said base member,

d. at least one cup-shaped container comprising a bottom and sidewallsfor holding material while being weighed on said platform, and

e. clip means mounted on said base for engaging and retaining inposition the sidewalls of said container when said container is invertedto cover said platform and spring means to protect parts of the scaleswhen said scales are not in use.

2. A scale construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein the distancebetween said base member and said platform when said spring means is notcompressed is greater than the distance between the base and the openedge of the sidewalls of said cup-shaped container such that thebottomof said container contacts said platform compressing said spring meanswhen said container is retained in position by said clip means.

3. A scale construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein said 1 pluralityof said. cup-shaped containers which are-capable of being nested. saidclip means being capable ofenga ging the sidewall of the outermostcontainer when said containers are nested to retain said plurality ofcontainers in position when said scales are not in use.

1. A multipurpose scale construction comprising: a. a base member, b.compressible spring means mounted on said base member, c. a platformsecured to said spring means opposite said base member, d. at least onecup-shaped container comprising a bottom aNd sidewalls for holdingmaterial while being weighed on said platform, and e. clip means mountedon said base for engaging and retaining in position the sidewalls ofsaid container when said container is inverted to cover said platformand spring means to protect parts of the scales when said scales are notin use.
 2. A scale construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein thedistance between said base member and said platform when said springmeans is not compressed is greater than the distance between the baseand the open edge of the sidewalls of said cup-shaped container suchthat the bottom of said container contacts said platform compressingsaid spring means when said container is retained in position by saidclip means.
 3. A scale construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidclip means comprises at least two holding clamps equidistantly spacedabout the periphery of said base member.
 4. A scale construction asclaimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said cup-shaped containerswhich are capable of being nested, said clip means being capable ofengaging the sidewall of the outermost container when said containersare nested to retain said plurality of containers in position when saidscales are not in use.